Top Stories category, Page 1228
Pittsburgh mayoral endorsements start to roll in as candidates begin drive for signatures
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has the support of four City Council members and several labor unions in his bid for a third term. But Peduto, 56, will not be seeking the endorsement of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. Two of the candidates challenging Peduto will seek the party’s endorsement, state...
Covid deaths reported in Westmoreland County rival October numbers
Westmoreland County on Tuesday reported no additional covid-related deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. With no new deaths reported, the seven-day death total in the county is six, which is the lowest it has been since October. In the last seven days, there have been no deaths reported...
For just 2nd time in 2021, Pa. reports new covid deaths in single digits
Pennsylvania reported seven additional covid-19 deaths Tuesday, per the state Department of Health. The deaths reported Tuesday increase the state’s death total to 23,126, with 1,465 deaths reported in February. Only once before this year have health officials reported such a low number of new covid-related deaths: Feb. 8 when...
For those facing eviction in Pittsburgh, hope might be on the way
Pittsburgh leaders on Tuesday said they want to help residents who are facing eviction because they can’t pay their rent during the pandemic. But they don’t want to give “false hope” by enacting something that won’t withstand legal challenges, city council President Theresa Kail-Smith said. “We all want to help...
5 Republicans seek party nod for special election in 59th state House district
Five Republicans — four from Westmoreland County and one from Somerset County — are seeking the party’s nod to run in the May 18 special election to fill the vacancy in the 59th District State House seat created by the death of Mike Reese. The 42-year-old Republican from Mt. Pleasant...
Suspected Bethel Park shoplifters caught after dozing in car full of stolen goods
Two suspected serial shoplifters in Bethel Park were caught after one of them fell asleep in the car alongside $1,300 in stolen merchandise, authorities said. Police responded Feb. 9 to the parking lot of the Bethel Park Home Depot for a report of a woman passed out in a car,...
Allegheny County reports 1 new covid death; trend continues of low deaths reported
Allegheny County reported one additional covid-related death Tuesday, according to the county Health Department. The individual was in their 80s and died Sunday. That continues a trend in recent days where no or few covid-19 deaths have been reported. In the past four days, four deaths have been reported, with...
Lawsuit: Man says Raccoon Township cop terrorized him with gun during false arrestVideo
A Beaver County man claims in a federal lawsuit that a Raccoon Township officer pulled a gun on him, punched him repeatedly, used racial epithets and then discharged his gun inches from the man’s body. The lawsuit contends that the state police then helped to try to cover it up....
Derry Township man jailed on charges of child assault
A Derry Township man is accused by state police of giving a child a bloody nose and bruises in a beating before school last week, according to court papers. Christopher Dominic Hilty Sr., 33, is being held without bond at the Westmoreland County Prison. He is charged with strangulation, harassment,...
Democrat’s lawsuit accuses Trump of inciting deadly Capitol riotVideo
WASHINGTON — The House Homeland Security chairman accused Donald Trump in a federal lawsuit Tuesday of inciting the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and conspiring with his lawyer and extremist groups to try to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the presidential election he lost to Joe Biden....
Highlands community rallies to help 2 Tarentum families burned out of homesVideo
The Highlands community is rallying to support two Tarentum families whose homes were destroyed by fire on Monday. A GoFundMe campaign to help the Lott family had exceeded its $10,000 goal by Tuesday afternoon. The fire is believed to have started in the Lott family’s home in the 200 block...
Crews respond to house fire in McCandless
Crews battled a house fire in McCandless early Tuesday morning, according to the Peebles District Volunteer Fire Co. The two-alarm fire on Windmill Lane near McIntyre Square and Peebles Road was reported just before 4 a.m. No injuries were reported. One firefighter was treated for dehydration, according to Tribune-Review news...
Fat Tuesday is here: Western Pa. bakeries celebrate with paczki, other traditional treatsVideo
It’s Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday in some places. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, that means it’s time for paczki. Local bakeries make thousands of paczki, a traditional Polish doughnut that is filled and fried. Oakmont Bakery expects to sell about 8,000 paczki (pronounced “ponch-key”) on Tuesday. It offers 14...
Police: McKees Rocks teen shot multiple times in the borough
A boy was shot multiple times Monday afternoon in McKees Rocks. Allegheny County police said they were called for the shooting around 2:30 p.m. along the 300 block of Russellwood Avenue. Police said the victim, a 16 year old from McKees Rocks, sustained multiple non-life threatening injuries as a result...
PennDOT lifts travel restrictions as winter storm ends
Speed limits and commercial vehicle travel are back to normal on Pennsylvania highways Tuesday morning following the previous evening’s winter storm. PennDOT reduced speed limits to 45 mph on many Pennsylvania highways as the state was belted with snow and ice. All speeds had been restored to their usual limits...
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and PennDOT officials try to keep up with wintry weather
After being spoiled by a lack of snow last winter, Western Pennsylvania residents have been confronted by multiple snow events since November. The total with Monday’s 1.5 inch snowfall is now 51.2 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Moon, putting it in the Top 10 snow accumulations through...
Pelosi says independent commission will examine Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Congress will establish an independent, Sept. 11-style commission to look into the deadly insurrection that took place at the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi said the commission will “investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the January 6, 2021, domestic...
The inside story of how Pennsylvania failed to deliver millions in coronavirus rent relief
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — It was late August, just past noon, and time was running out. Bryce Maretzki was in charge of a...
Pennsylvania GOP may meet to discuss Toomey impeachment vote
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Republican Party is planning a meeting to potentially censure U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey amid a growing GOP backlash over his vote to convict Donald Trump during the former president’s second impeachment trial, county party officials said Monday. County party chairs said the state GOP chairman, Lawrence Tabas,...
Biden faces questions about commitment to minimum wage hike
WASHINGTON — Union activist Terrence Wise recalls being laughed at when he began pushing for a national $15 per hour minimum wage almost a decade ago. Nearly a year into the pandemic, the idea isn’t so funny. The coronavirus has renewed focus on challenges facing hourly employees who have continued...
Pitt, NCAA knew about dangers of football concussions, lawsuits claim
Two former University of Pittsburgh football players filed separate federal lawsuits against the university and the NCAA, as well as the Big East and Atlantic Coast conferences, alleging the organizations were aware of the potential health ramifications caused by concussions and repeated blows to the head but never took action...
Tarentum house fire spreads to neighboring homeVideo
Tiffany Lott stood on Tarentum’s Lock Street on Monday afternoon, a blanket draped over her, as smoke billowed from her home and firefighters pumped it full of water. A fire Lott said had started in her home had spread to another beside it, ultimately destroying both. “I am OK,” she...
New Pa. covid cases, deaths continue downward trend
As February hits its midpoint, Pennsylvania is continuing to see its cases of coronavirus decline — along with the number of those hospitalized and dying from the virus. Over the past two days, there were 4,516 new cases of coronavirus reported in Pennsylvania, according to data released Monday by the...
Westmoreland County sees over 60% drop in covid cases in past month
Westmoreland County’s coronavirus situation continues to improve — and dramatically when compared to just one month ago. Another 129 cases of coronavirus were reported over the past two days in the county, according to data released Monday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. That total is 6% lower than a...
Monroeville doctor accused of writing illegal painkiller prescriptions
A Monroeville doctor was charged last week in federal court with nearly 100 counts of writing illegal oxycodone prescriptions, as well as Medicare fraud. An indictment returned Thursday by the federal grand jury said Joseph Dicroce, 64, wrote dozens of prescriptions for oxycodone to just three people from 2016 to...
